London mayor and Daily Telegraph columnist Boris Johnson likened Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre to the Boston Stangler when he delivered a typically tongue-in-cheek speech at the University of Westminster on Wednesday night.

Johnson, who Axegrinder suspects won't be swapping his Telegraph column for a Daily Mail one any time soon, said: 'They [the Press] are regulated by a Press Complaints Commission whose luminaries include the editor of the Daily Mail. I'm sure that he is a fine fellow in many ways but I think it's a bit like putting the regulation of door-to-door salesmen in the hands of Boston Strangler."

Dacre, is not - it must be said - widely known for his sense humour, but Johnston added: "I'm sure he'll take that remark in the spirit it was made."

Asked in a later Q&A session if he thought the PCC needed strengthening, Johnson said that he had no idea. 'I doubt it very muchâ€¦you might as well strengthen tapioca,'he added.

Meirion Jones, Newsnight's former head of investigations, told Press Gazette in an interview - published this week - that he felt "everyone involved on the right side of the Savile argument has been forced out of the BBC".